


Thought and Action Experiments

by misura



Category: The Imitation Game (2014)
Genre: Multi, Relationship Negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 05:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5855662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alan has this all figured out. (Well, mostly.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thought and Action Experiments

"You must be bloody joking," Hugh said, which wasn't overly promising, but then, faint heart had never won maiden fair, or some such nonsense - Alan really hadn't ever had much patience for literature.

Or for anything or anyone else, to be honest. Still, it was clear a few more minutes should be spent here. "You like women. Joan is a woman. An, an attractive one, even - or so I hear, I mean, naturally, I have no personal opinion on the matter."

"Thank you," Joan said. Smiling, which _was_ promising, but then, she had always been the smart one. Pity she couldn't have been a man, then this whole matter would have been so much more easily resolved.

Hugh scowled. "That was _not_ a compliment, not even in Alan."

"I wasn't complimenting her, I, I was stating a fact." Alan allowed his tone of voice to add the _obviously_. Likely as not, Hugh would miss it, but then, that was on him.

"You want to sleep with me," Hugh said.

Alan decided that had probably intended as a question of sorts, in spite of being coded as a simple statement - a rather blunt one, at that. "Yes."

Hugh nodded. Nodding was generally considered a sign of agreement, but in this case, Alan supposed it was meant to indicate something rather less clear. Flawed understanding, perhaps, full understanding being impossible, given Hugh's obvious limitations.

"But instead of asking me that, you're asking me to sleep with Joan."

Alan sighed. He should have known Hugh would muddy this up. "I - "

"And let you watch. Sorry, can't believe that part slipped my mind."

"I can," Alan muttered. "Easily."

Hugh looked at Joan, but not, sadly, as if he was considering sleeping with her. It was truly vexing he was so physically attractive, yet so mentally ... closed off. Slow, even, but then, everyone was. No awareness of their own utter lack of imagination, the smallness of their minds.

"You couldn't have simply talked him out of it?" Hugh asked. Still not properly phrased as a question, but closer, at least. There might be hope for him yet.

"I want him to be happy," Joan replied. "Besides, you're not ugly, and I like you."

"Now that, that is a proper compliment," Alan said.

Hugh glanced at him briefly. "Yes. I do feel I might swoon at any moment."

"Lying down might help with that." It might help with other things as well, although Alan tried not to get his hopes up in that department. Thus far, counting on the worst had proven a quite accurate prediction of the proceeding of events.

"Alan." Hugh sighed. "How, exactly, will watching me and Joan take each other's clothes off make you happy? I'm not a homosexual and frankly, I have no more desire to see you naked than I have to let you see _me_ naked."

"A lack of objections will do just fine. Don't, don't worry. I will, of course, be pretending that Joan is also a man. She has agreed to tell me of the experience. So, so you see, we have thought of everything."

"Her experience as a woman," Hugh said. His voice sounded strong, hardly like he was on the verge of a fainting fit. "Am I the only one who sees the problem there?"

"Well, if, if you are amenable, then of course - " Alan started, wishing Hugh would make up his mind already; it had been a simple yes-or-no question, a do-or-do-not.

"Good God." Hugh shook his head.

"If it doesn't work the first time, we can always try again," Joan said. "It's only an experiment, after all."

 _She_ , at least, fully grasped the situation. "Yes. Exactly. An experiment."

"It's sex," Hugh snapped. "It's _not_ an experiment. It's - " He gestured vaguely.

"I don't understand your objections," Alan said.

"Obviously."

Alan politely waited for some sort of explanation that would at least approach 'sensible'. Hugh, predictably kept quiet, as if he felt no obligation whatsoever to explain himself.

"I, I'm afraid I must insist on a definitive answer," Alan said. "Clearly, we cannot ask anyone else, so, so if you refuse, then, well. Some other solution will need to be found."

"You're both mad," Hugh declared.

Alan frowned at him. "A _definitive_ answer. Which, which is to say: yes or no. Two options."

Hugh's glare was not promising at all, but then he said, "Yes, then, damn you," which was so unexpected that at first, Alan was half-sure he'd misheard.

Joan beamed. She looked, Alan thought, rather beautiful. Like a flower or a particularly lovely sunset, except that flowers and sunsets simply happened, whereas Joan - well, people were complicated.

"Thank you," he said. It seemed polite.

Hugh's expression suggested he was surprised, which made no sense. "You're welcome."


End file.
